13 best Emmerdale characters – EVER! Heartthrobs, schemers, cheats and living legends!
Emmerdale's best ever characters
Cain Dingle
Emmerdale OG bad boy, Cain is always top of the list. We can’t get enough of the sexy rogue.
Always central to any Dingle drama, Cain is the son of former lovers, Zak and Faith, but grew up thinking Shadrach was his father.
He arrived in 2000 as the black sheep of the family and delighted fans with his corrupt carry on.
Cain has had a lot of romantic entanglements during his 20 plus years in the Dales. These include high-stakes affairs with police officer Angie Reynolds and vicar Harriet Finch and a questionable dalliance with teen Amy Wyatt.
But two relationships have shaped him most. The first being his on/off one with cousin, Charity, and the other his passionate marriage to Moira.
Cain is a father of four, by four different women. He and Charity share daughter Debbie. Nate Robinson is Cain’s long-lost son who came into his life as an adult, Kyle Winchester was the result of his fling with Amy, and he has young Isaac with Moira.
The character is Emmerdale’s answer to the terminator. Seriously, the guy is indestructible! Cain has survived attempts on his life, near drowning and a brain tumour. And he’s endured a few stints in prison, the most recent being when he took the rap for Kyle killing Al Chapman.
It’s certainly been an action-packed two decades, we can’t wait to see what the next bring.
Best Emmerdale characters: Kim Tate
Ruthless, scheming and ever so sexy, Kim is a goddess and we worship at her altar.
The legendary lady of the manor was introduced in December 1989 as Frank Tate’s gold-digging missus. Frank might have had money, but it was excitement Kim craved. Her affair with farmhand Dave Glover gave her that, plus a ‘who’s the daddy’ storyline when Kim gave birth to son James. The tot turned out to be Frank’s, and tragedy struck when Dave was killed in a fire.
After Dave’s demise, Kim’s marriage to Frank collapsed. He tried to have her killed, but Kim took revenge by faking her own death and framing Frank for murder. Her ‘return’ from the dead caused Frank to suffer a fatal heart attack. In shocking scenes, Kim put her compact mirror up to Frank’s mouth to check he’d stopped breathing before reapplying her powder.
Kim’s second husband was Steve Marchant, but that marriage also ended badly. She set him up for a crime she’d committed and fled the village in a helicopter.
Fast forward to 2018 and Kim made a dramatic return. She was thrust straight back into the action after ordering her third hubby Graham Foster to dispose of her step-grandson Joe Tate. Kim also got pushed off a balcony by Faith Dingle.
Kim was reunited with her son, Jamie Tate, and let’s just say the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Just like his mum, Jamie faked his own death.
Now Kim is onto husband number four, Will Taylor, and proved once again she’s not a woman to be messed with. When Will cheated with his ex Queen Kim got her revenge.
Eric Pollard is the king of illegal scams (Credit: ITV)
Eric Pollard
There’s only one Eric Pollard, and we love him!
The village veteran, who’s the longest-serving character in Emmerdale, has been played by actor Chris Chittell for 38 years.
Eric was first introduced in 1986 and was only meant to stay for 12 episodes. But viewers loved his immoral antics, even if the other villagers didn’t.
The former antique dealer’s list of crimes include theft, fraud and even bigamy. Eric has always had an eye for the ladies and has five wives – two of which he was married to at the same time. His second wife, Elizabeth was one of the victims of the 1993 plane crash.
Eric was tracked down by his long-lost son. David, in 2006 and the pair forged a close relationship.
The other most important person in Eric’s life was his fifth wife and soulmate, Val Lambert. Their union was a very popular one, and fans felt Eric’s heartbreak when he lost his ‘Valerie’ in 2015.
He’s also had a relationship with Brenda Walker, who’s played by Chris’s real-life wife, Lesley Dunlop.
Time has certainly mellowed Eric, and he’s been forced to slow down following after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s last year. But there’s still life in the old dog yet, so expect more scams in the future.
Chas Dingle
Who remembers the moment Chas, short for Chastity, arrived in the village dressed as a nun for her cousin Marlon’s stag do? Talk about making an entrance!
A proper chip off the old Dingle block, Chas is the daughter of Faith and Shadrach and sister to Cain.
She’s also mum to Aaron. Chas gave birth to Aaron when she was 14, but the pair have a complicated relationship. Chas abandoned Aaron and was devastated to learn years later he’d been sexually abused by his father, Gordon. The guilt over abandoning her son has never really left her.
Chas has lived in Emmerdale since 2002 and has spent most of those years working at The Woolpack. She went from barmaid to landlady, before she was forced to sell her beloved pub. She’s now holds the position of manager.
Chas’s biggest weakness in life has always been men. She had a tempestuous relationship with Carl King. They almost got married, but Chas jilted Carl at the altar after discovering he’d been sleeping with Eve Jenson.
Then came her ill-fated affairs. First with Cameron Murray, who turned out to be a killer. Then Al Chapman, which resulted in Chas losing it all – including her husband, Paddy.
Fans loved Chas and Paddy together. The couple were dealt a cruel blow with the death of their first daughter Grace in 2018. But little Eve arrived the year after to help heal some of their pain.
Chas is a survivor, and has recently endured a battle against triple negative breast cancer. She underwent a double mastectomy and is currently in remission from the disease. Things are looking up on the love life front too, with a potential romance blossoming between her and Dr Liam Cavanagh.
Best Emmerdale characters: Paddy Kirk
Loveable Paddy is one of Emmerdale’s most cherished characters. He was introduced to viewers in 1997 as a locum vet.
Paddy is the son of Barbara and Bear Wolf, a former wrestler, who Paddy was estranged from until adulthood. He has a daughter, Eve, from his marriage to ex-wife Chas Dingle. He’s also been a father figure to Chas’s son, Aaron, over the years.
In 2024, Paddy married wife Mandy Dingle – for a second time, and his fifth in total. He and Mandy got hitched first time round in 1999, but split soon afterwards. Paddy’s also gone down the aisle with Emily Dingle, Rhona Goskirk, and of course, Chas. He’s also had a couple of extramarital affairs, with postmistress Viv Hope and teaching assistant Tess Harris. Don’t be fooled by the bumbling nature – Paddy can be a naughty boy when he wants to!
Paddy’s most enduring relationship is his bromance with best mate, Marlon Dingle. The pair’s silly antics have given viewers a lot of laughs over the years.
There have been incredibly sad times too. Paddy’s world was shattered by the loss of his daughter, Grace, who passed away moments after she was born. He also endured a battle with depression after his marriage split from Chas and contemplated ending his life.
Supported by his loved ones, Paddy found a way through, and his future is looking bright once more.
Charity Dingle
Landlady Charity has been at the centre of the action in Emmerdale since 2000, except when she took a break from the village between 2005-2009.
Feisty and fearless, Charity’s life story is one hell of a read!
As a young teen she spent time on the streets working as a prostitute. During that dark period Charity was groomed and abused by corrupt cop DI Bails, which resulted in her falling pregnant at 14.
Charity’s second child, Debbie, was the product of a fling with her cousin, Cain. Charity and Cain’s on/off love affair has been central to the soap and provided one of its most popular partnerships. They’re also famed for their illegal scams. Charity is a mistress of disguise and loves a wig!
Charity has had four husbands. Her first marriage to Chris Tate ended with him committing suicide and framing her for murder. Husband number two, Declan Macey tried to have her killed, and her third marriage to Jai Sharma also turned sour. Vanessa Woodfield almost became Charity’s fourth spouse, but she then fell for Mackenzie Boyd.
Charity and Mack have weathered a few storms – including him fathering a baby behind her back, and her stabbing him, but they remain together.
These days, Charity is landlady of The Woolpack, which she co-owns with son, Ryan Stocks. She’s also mum to Noah and Moses, as well as grandmother to Sarah and Jack Sugden.
Aaron Dingle
Aaron is one of the most complex and compelling characters Emmerdale has ever had.
He’s the son of Chas Dingle and Gordon Livesey. Chas gave birth to Aaron when she was only 14 and placed him into care. He had a difficult upbringing and suffered abuse at the hands of his father.
Aaron came to live in the village permanently in 2008 and was a troublemaker from the word go.
Early on, Aaron realised he fancied boys. After coming out to his family, Aaron fell for builder Jackson Walsh. But tragedy struck when Jackson was paralysed in a horrific accident, and Aaron helped him die.
Aaron then began a secret affair with Robert Sugden. Fans went crazy for the pairing, who they dubbed ‘Robron’, but their lying and cheating led to the death of Katie Sugden.
By some miracle, Aaron and Robert got married. They split for good after Robert was jailed for murder.
Aaron moved on with Ben Tucker, but he was bumped off by serial killer Meena Julta. Shortly afterwards, Aaron left the village for a new life abroad.
He made a brief return the following year, but tragedy struck again he lost his half-sister Liv Flaherty in Emmerdale’s 50th anniversary storm.
Aaron’s now back in the Dales for good. His time now is mainly spent masterminding illegal activities with partner-in-crime/best mate Mackenzie Boyd. And there’s also a new man on scene in the form of former army medic, John Sugden, who just happens to be Robert’s brother.
Has Aaron met ‘the one’? Only time will tell…
Best Emmerdale characters: Val Pollard
Vivacious Val Pollard left us nearly ten years ago, but her memory lives on.
The gobby Geordie was Eric Pollard’s fifth wife, and Diane Sugden’s younger sister. She had to two children, Sharon and Paul. Val’s son Paul was the product of her affair with Diane’s husband, Rodney Blackstock.
Val, or Valerie as Eric often used to call her, was larger than life and had a penchant for causing trouble. Her and Eric were both as bad as each other, aka the perfect match.
The couple married in 2008 and purchased The Grange B&B, which they ran together. They took teen tearaway Amy Wyatt (now Barton) under their wing and ended up adopting her.
Val and Eric’s marriage hit the rocks after she cheated on him on holiday in Portugal and contracted HIV. The couple reconciled, but Val got in trouble with the police for committing fraud.
She planned to fake her own death, but didn’t get that far after becoming one of the victims in the 2015 helicopter crash. Val met a grisly end when she was impaled by a shard of glass. She rose from the dead a few days later and appeared as a ghost to say goodbye to Eric.
An unforgettable character, who’s truly missed.
Andy Sugden
Andy wasn’t born into the Sugden brood, but was adopted by his best friend Robert’s parents Jack and Sarah in 2000. Their act of kindness gave Andy hope of a stable future, but life turned out to be anything but.
First Andy accidentally killed Sarah after setting fire to a barn at the family farm, not realising she was inside. Then came the discovery that Robert had been sleeping with his wife, Katie. Andy decided to shoot Robert in revenge, but accidentally pulled the trigger on Jack, nearly killing him.
Andy fathered a daughter, Sarah, with next partner Debbie Dingle. They also went on to have a son, Jack, seven years later.
His second marriage to Jo Stiles saw Andy turn into a violent abuser. And when Jo found the courage to leave him, Andy suffered a complete mental breakdown.
Andy and Katie remarried, but she died weeks later after a confrontation with Robert. Andy then arranged for Ross Barton to shoot Robert (what’s his obsession with guns?) – but his brother survived.
20 years in the village came to a dramatic end for Andy after his vengeful ex Chrissie White framed him for a crime he didn’t commit. Andy went on the run and as far as we know is still running.
Bring him back, please!
Moira Dingle
Feisty farmer Moira is another one of Emmerdale’s power-houses and the woman who finally tamed Cain Dingle.
Moira and Cain are one of soaps’ most adored couples. Their love story started as a steamy affair but has gone the distance. They have survived betrayals on both sides, including Moira’s fling with Cain’s son, Nate. Well, they don’t call her Mucky Moira for nothing!
Moira arrived in the village with her first husband, and childhood sweetheart, John Barton, and their kids Adam, Holly and Hannah (now Matty). Her affair with Cain finished her marriage and Moira was heartbroken when John died in a car crash. Tragedy struck again in 2016 when Holly died of a heroin overdose.
Moira’s other memorable moments include her pushing her sister-in-law and nemesis Emma Barton to her death off a viaduct, and giving birth to baby Isaac without knowing she was pregnant.
The past few months have been particularly brutal for Moira after being diagnosed with a non-cancerous brain tumour. We’re keeping everything crossed she makes it through because we need Moira in our lives.
Best Emmerdale characters: Zak Dingle
Zak was the patriarch of the most iconic family in Emmerdale – the Dingles – for almost 30 years.
A pig farmer by trade and former bare-knuckle boxer, Zak arrived in the village in October, 1994. Zak’s first wife was Nellie Lynch, and they had five kids. Their four sons were Nathan, Sam, Butch and Ben. Zak and Nellie also had a daughter, Tina.
Zak also fathered son Cain during an affair with his brother’s wife, Faith.
After Zak and Nellie divorced, Zak found love again with Lisa Clegg. They welcomed daughter, Belle into their lives on Christmas Day 1998 after Lisa (who didn’t know she was pregnant) gave birth in a pigsty.
Zak had a disastrous third marriage to Joanie Wright, which left fans in uproar over his betrayal of Lisa. But thankfully the Emmerdale writers saw the error of their ways and reunited Zak and Lisa. They remained together until her death in May 2019.
After losing his Lisa, Zak was a bit of a lost soul, although remained fiercely protective of his family.
Actor Steve Halliwell, who played Zak for three decades, passed away in December 2023. Zak was quickly written out and viewers were told he was visiting family in Scotland.
Zak’s family are soon to receive the sad news he’s passed away. The Dingles bring him home and lay Zak to rest in the village.
Betty Eagleton
Lovely Betty was the heart and soul of the village during her 21 years there.
She had a habit of being nosey and interfering, but Betty always meant well. She was a friend to many.
Betty came to the Dales in 1994 and discovered her former partner, Seth Armstrong was living there. The golden couple rekindled their romance and hosted a 1940s theme night for the villagers.
They remained together until Seth died on an airplane travelling back from Australia. Betty brought his body back to Emmerdale and had him buried in the woods surrounding Home Farm.
Betty remained in the village for several years after Seth’s passing and dealt with the loss of other dear friends, including Alan Turner. She went to live in Australia with new partner Reuben Archibald in 2015.
Sadly actress Paula Tilbrook died in December 2019, but Betty remains alive and well.
Seth Armstrong
We can’t have Betty, without her lovely Seth. He was one of Emmerdale’s all time greats. Seth first appeared on screen in 1978. He was a temporary character to begin with, but was popular with the fans. By 1980, Seth was a full time regular.
After Seth’s wife, Meg, passed away, he went on to rekindle his relationship with former flame, Betty.
He also landed his dream job as a gamekeeper. When Seth wasn’t working at Home Farm he could usually be found supping a pint in the Woolie.
Seth was written out of the show in 2003 and his character was killed off two years later.
We like to think Seth is sitting on a cloud, beer in hand, watching the drama continue in his beloved village.